Libby Riddles

In addition to winning the Iditarod in 1985, Riddles won the Humanitarian Award given to the Iditarod musher who takes the best care of his or her dogs. Riddles treated her team with equal parts discipline and tender loving care. "I feel like I'm a real expert at keeping my dogs happy," she said. "If I had to treat (them) like soldiers, it would just take the fun out of it. But when things get serious, they listen to me, too. You've got to be strict with them… . When I'm out there racing, I'm racing as much as anybody to win. But I'm also out there because I enjoy being with my dogs and I love what I'm doing."

Riddles, whose victory earned her $50,000, has never come close to winning the Iditarod again. She was scratched from the field in 1987, placed 16th in 1989, and finished 32nd in 1995. Susan Butcher, meanwhile, became the second woman to win the Iditarod in 1986, the year after Riddles' winning run. Butcher covered the course in record time—eleven days, fifteen hours, six minutes. The old record, set by Swenson in 1981, was twelve days, eight hours, forty-five minutes, and two seconds.